Core Curriculum and General Education
- Core Curriculum Overview
- Quantitative Reasoning, Experimental Inquiry, and Islamic Studies
- Colloquia
- Colloquia Courses
- Field Colloquia
- Field Colloquia Courses
- Arts, Design, and Technology
- Arts, Design, and Technology Courses
- Cultural Exploration and Analysis
- Cultural Exploration and Analysis Courses
- Data and Discovery
- Data and Discovery Courses
- Structures of Thought and Society
- Structure of Thought and Society Courses
- Experimental Inquiry
- Experimental Inquiry Courses
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Quantitative Reasoning Courses
- Islamic Studies
- Islamic Studies Courses
- Writing Program
- The First-Year Writing Seminar
- First-Year Writing Seminar Courses
- Languages
- Arabic Language offerings
- Arabic Language Courses
- Chinese Language offerings
- Chinese Language Courses
- Spanish Language offerings
- Spanish Language Courses
- French Language offerings
- French Language Courses
- Japanese Language offerings
- Japanese Language Courses
- Physical Education
- Physical Education Courses (Sample of previous course offerings)
Core Curriculum Overview
NYUAD’s Core Curriculum forms the heart of our mission to provide an international student body with an outstanding, expansive education. The Core draws on the diversity and cultural wealth of the world’s traditions and spans the content and methodologies of 21st-century disciplines across the Arts and Humanities, Engineering, Science, and Social Science. It offers Core Competencies that will help graduates address major global challenges, including the pursuit of equality, justice, peace, health, sustainability, and a rich understanding of humanity. It fosters modes of thinking and habits of mind central to well-rounded intellectual development and to global citizenship and leadership.
The NYUAD Core consists of:
- 1 Core Colloquia and 2 Field Core Colloquia, each of which addresses a significant global challenge from multidisciplinary perspectives
- 4 Core Competency Courses, one each in:
- Arts, Design, and Technology
- Cultural Exploration and Analysis
- Data and Discovery
- Structures of Thought and Society
The guiding principles of the Core Curriculum include:
- Small, discussion-based seminars: 10–18 students
- Sustained interaction with faculty
- Global diverse perspectives
- Big ideas and transformative works of human thought and invention
- Foundational modes of thinking
- Significant emphasis on writing and effective communication
All Core courses develop students’ abilities to formulate precise questions and arrive at well-reasoned and effectively communicated conclusions. These skills are essential not only to complement students’ advanced coursework in their majors but also to help them think deeply about themselves and the world we share.
The values central to the Core Curriculum underscore the fact that an NYUAD education consists of much more than preparation for a profession; the Core aims to cultivate habits of mind that allow students to navigate the ethical complexity of a rapidly changing, increasingly global society. We cannot assume we are “global citizens” simply by virtue of living in an international environment. Learning to ask and approach profound questions from a variety of viewpoints and cultivating the ability to exchange views about the major challenges of our time requires practice and deliberate attention. The Core Curriculum offers repeated occasions to develop these skills and habits, which should help prepare students for meaningful lives of intellectual curiosity and civic engagement. Courses in the Core Curriculum are taken for a letter grade and not pass/fail.
Two Physical Education courses are also required for each student (although not part of the Core) for degree requirements.
Quantitative Reasoning, Experimental Inquiry, and Islamic Studies
All students are also required to take at least one course designated as filling a Quantitative Reasoning (Q) requirement, one that fills an Experimental Inquiry (E) requirement, and one that fills an Islamic Studies (X) requirement. These will be drawn from courses across the curriculum and may also count toward other requirements, such as the Core, a major, or a minor. For the most up-to-date list of courses that fulfill the Q, E, and X requirements, please consult the NYUAD website.
Core Curriculum Courses
Core Curriculum courses vary from year to year. A significant variety in each category is on offer every semester.
Colloquia
Core Colloquia are small, discussion-oriented seminars designed to help students deepen their understanding of significant global challenges, including the pursuit of equality, justice, peace, health, sustainability, and a rich understanding of humanity. Taught by faculty from all divisions, these seminars offer multidisciplinary, global perspectives and substantively engage two or more of the Core Competencies. Core Colloquia explicitly aim to nurture civic awareness fundamental to global citizenship and leadership by developing students’ abilities to grapple with the complex conceptual and ethical dimensions of global issues, to communicate respectfully across cultural difference, and to devise problem-solving strategies. Colloquia are fourteen-week courses taught in Abu Dhabi. Students are required to take one Core Colloquia during the fall or spring semester, and two Field Colloquia during J-Terms. One of which should be taken during the first year. Numerous Colloquia are offered every semester. The courses specified below are offered periodically, typically each year in the semester indicated.
Colloquia Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CCOL-UH 1000 | Mortal and Immortal Questions | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1002 | Indigeneity | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1003X | Faith in Science, Reason in Revelation | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1006E | Conserving Our Global Heritage through Science | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1008 | Reading the Earth | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1010 | Future of Medicine | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1013 | Colonialism and Postcolonialism | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1015Q | Labor | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1016Q | Cooperation | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1019 | Extinction | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1020 | Water | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1021 | The Desert | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1024Q | Life in the Universe | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1025 | Human Body | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1026 | Migration | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1030 | War | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1031 | Nature and Human Nature | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1032 | Communication: from bacteria to humans | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1034 | Gender | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1035 | Inequality | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1038 | Prejudice | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1040 | Disability | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1042 | Multi-ethnic Democracy | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1045 | Axes of Evil | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1046 | Women and Leadership | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1048 | Statehood | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1049 | State of the Nation | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1052X | Art of Revolution | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1053 | Calamity and Creation | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1055 | Oil | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1056EQ | Fairness | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1058 | Journeys | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1059Q | Quantified Self | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1060 | What Is Secularism? | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1061 | Water for Life | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1065Q | Resentment and Politics | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1069 | Global Language | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1070 | Hindsight | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1071 | Price of Luxury | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1072 | Tolerance | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1074 | Industrial Revolutions and the Future of Work | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1075 | Body Politics | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1077 | Food and Human Population | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1079 | Justice in Times of Transition | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1080 | Learning Languages in a Global Society | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1081 | Migration and Belonging | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1082 | Multispecies Living and the Environmental Crisis | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1086 | Corruption | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1088 | Panacea | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1089 | Drama of Science | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1093 | Caste and Race | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1094 | Fire | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1095 | Emotions | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1096 | Ghosts, Magic, and the Mystical: Understanding the Supernatural | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1097 | The Sacred | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1099 | The Science of Human Connection | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1100 | Negotiation and Consensus Building | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1101 | Incarceration | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1102 | Language and Identity | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1103 | Exclusionary Foundations of Knowledge Production | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1104 | Globalization and its Discontents | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1105 | Nudges and Well-Being | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1106 | Mind, Matter, and Machine | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1107 | Shelter | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1108 | Infinity | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1109 | Identity | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1110 | Poverty and Inequality | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1111 | 24 Hours in Our Brain | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1112 | Climate and Humanity | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1113 | Encompassing Nature | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1114 | Problem of the Self | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1115 | Beyond Nature-Culture | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1116 | Wireless Revolution | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1117 | Slavery and Freedom | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1118 | (In)Fertility | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1119 | Techruption | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1120 | Cyborgs | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1121 | Violence | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1123 | Choose Your Journey | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1124 | Linguistic Diversity | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1125 | Beauty | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 2016J | Sensing (Sensitive) Archives | 3 |
Field Colloquia
Field Colloquia (J-Term courses) are designed as 10-day, highly immersive learning experiences typically conducted in January of each year. They intensify the student’s focus, reach beyond the classroom to incorporate experiential learning, and are site-specific, connecting students to the place where they study.
Intellectually linked to their locations, the courses take advantage of local resources; explore the history, culture, economy, and society of the host communities, and often involve collaborative activities with local students and faculty. The courses illuminate the interdependence of local knowledge and global awareness while fostering cross-cultural research and insights into complex global issues.
Field Colloquia Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CCOL-UH 2001EJ | An Ocean Voyage | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2002J | Just Cash: The Politics, Economics, and Philosophy of Cash Transfer Programs | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2003J | Mande Music and the Black Experience: Oral History, Folklore and Contemporary Connections | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2004J | Sand | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2005J | Art / Environment / Attention | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2006J | Common Sense | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2007J | The Science of Color and Art | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2008J | The Puzzle of Life | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2009J | The Sensorial City: Food Studies and Urban Ethnography | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2010J | Disability and Development | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2011J | Commercial Determinants of Health: A Focus on Globalization | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2012J | Wayfinding: Graphic Design in the Built Environment | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2013J | Debt and Society | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2014J | Being Here | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2015J | Colorism Across Global Lines: Focus Study in Ghana | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2017J | African Perspectives on Data and Technology | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2018J | Message in a Bottle | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2019J | Network Theory and Social Interactions | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2020J | Ribbons of Blue: Urbanization on the Coastal Fringe | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2021J | The Silk Road: Ancient and Modern Globalizations | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2022J | New Capitals of Contemporary Art: Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Amman | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2023J | Endangered Languages | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2024J | Global Africa and China | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2025J | Social Media and Governance of Speech | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2026J | Technology for Sustainable Development | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2027J | Unequal Childhoods | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2028J | Music, Migration, and Memory | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2029J | Californian Ideology | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2030J | What is Fair in University Admissions? | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2031J | Strategies for Civic Inclusion | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2032J | Tropical Forests and the Climate Crisis | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2033J | Immersive Experiences | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2034J | Falconry: A Global History | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2035J | Creative Robotics & Tech | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2036J | Tone Meister: The Pursuit of Perfect Sound | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2037J | Culture as a Collective Achievement: Explorations in Italy and UAE | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2038J | How to Build a City | 3 |
| CCOL-UH 2039J | The Shaping of Identity: Past and Future of Egyptological Collections | 3 |
Arts, Design, and Technology
Art, Design, and Technology courses include a creative component and teach students to think critically and work creatively toward innovations in arts practice, design and engineering, creative writing, data visualization, programming, and performance. Numerous Arts, Design, and Technology courses are offered every term. The courses specified below are offered periodically, typically each year in the semester indicated.
Arts, Design, and Technology Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH-UH 2113 | Memoir and Ethnography: Understanding Culture Through First-Person Narrative | 4 |
| ARTH-UH 2721 | Art and Architecture: Reinventing the City | 4 |
| ARTH-UH 2726 | City to Studio: Transforming Urban Research | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1001 | Manus et Machina | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1005 | Creativity and Innovation | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1008EQ | Touch | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1013EQ | Language of Computers | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1016E | Utilitas, Venustas, Firmitas | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1020 | Wayfinding: Graphic Design in the Built Environment | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1021 | Art of Narrative Science | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1024 | What Is Music? | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1026 | Human Value | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1027 | Memoir and Anti-Memoir: Experiments in Text and Image | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1029 | Inspiration, Art, and the Examined Life | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1033 | Bioinspiration | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1037X | Machines in Islamic Civilization | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1038 | Autonomous and Social Robots | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1039 | Photo Album | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1040 | Ethics of the Image | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1045E | Plastic Fantastic | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1048 | Reinventing the Wheel | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1049E | Material World | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1051 | Performing Online | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1052 | Silence | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1053 | Designing Health | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1061 | The Body Archive | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1062 | Contextual Innovation in Society | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1063 | Foodways for the Anthropocene | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1074 | Creative Robotics and Tech | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1077 | Site Specificity | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1078 | Voice | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1079E | Have a Seat | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1091 | The Photographic Essay: The Power of Visual Storytelling | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1092 | Starting With Self | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1093 | Gamified Learning | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1094 | Music, the Mind, and Artificial Intelligence | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1092 | Reaching for the Stars | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1138 | Eco-Art and Ecomedia | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1037 | Cyberwarfare | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1063 | Digital Archive | 4 |
| IM-UH 1012 | Communication and Technology | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 1506 | Today We Wrote Nothing | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 1508 | Shame and Shamelessness: The Craft of Confessional Writing | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 1509 | The City and the Writer: New York City and Abu Dhabi | 4 |
| MUSIC-UH 1618X | Music and Identity in Trade | 4 |
Cultural Exploration and Analysis
Cultural Exploration and Analysis courses pursue understanding and appreciation of diverse cultural forms and perspectives, and foster the ability to navigate differences to establish cross-cultural understanding. J-Term courses in Cultural Exploration and Analysis often focus on a deep engagement with multiple cultures in a single global site. Numerous Cultural Exploration and Analysis courses are offered each term. The courses specified below are offered periodically, typically each year win the semester indicated.
Cultural Exploration and Analysis Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACS-UH 2410X | Paradise Lost: Muslims, Christians and Jews in Al-Andalus | 4 |
| ANTH-UH 1102X | Anthropology of and as Media | 4 |
| ANTH-UH 1103 | Sense and Senses | 4 |
| ANTH-UH 2113 | Memoir and Ethnography: Understanding Culture Through First-Person Narrative | 4 |
| ANTH-UH 2114X | Listening to Islam | 4 |
| AW-UH 1118 | Archaeology, Arabia and the Bible | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1026 | Human Value | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1001 | Ritual and Play | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1003 | Collecting | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1004 | Identity and Object | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1007 | Abstraction | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1009X | A Thousand and One Nights | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1010 | Imagined Cities | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1011 | Law and the Imagination | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1014 | Money and the Good Life | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1015 | Gender and Representation | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1017 | On Violence | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1023 | Dis/Abilities in Musical Contexts | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1037 | Listening | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1046 | Rogue Fictions: Tales of Tricksters, Outlaws, and Outsiders | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1053 | The Hero | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1055 | Global Shakespeare | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1056 | Tragedy | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1061 | Memory | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1062 | Everything Is a Remix | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1063 | Literary Translation | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1069 | Cultural Appropriation | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1074 | Race, Racialization and Narration | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1077X | Islamism, Islamophobia, and Muslim Popular Culture | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1078X | Representing the Middle East: Issues in the Politics of Culture | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1082 | Literature of Migration | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1083 | Cultural History of Falconry | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1085 | Cinematic Imagination: Music, Media, and Modernity | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1090 | Un/Making History | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1092 | Reaching for the Stars | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1094X | Orientalisms | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1095X | Arabia Felix, the Imagined Land of 'Happiness' | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1096 | Global Scents: All the Perfumes of Arabia | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1097 | Music: Conflict, Protest, and Peace | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1098 | Immersive Experiences | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1102 | Culture and Citizenship | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1107 | Once Upon a Time: Folk and Fairy Tales Reconsidered | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1110 | Faith and Finance: From Renaissance Fortuna to the Futures Market | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1112 | Fashion, Culture & the Body | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1113 | Expressive Culture: Film | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1114X | Sexualities of the Middle East: A Cultural History | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1115 | Languages of Israel | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1123 | Noise in Literature | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1124 | The Age of Images | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1125 | Nation and Narration | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1136 | Encountering the Other | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1137 | Stories of Our Bodies | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1138 | Eco-Art and Ecomedia | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1139 | The Image in Question | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1101 | Cultures & Contexts: The Black Atlantic | 4 |
| HERST-UH 1100 | World Heritage Sites & Universal Collections | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 1105 | Politics of Writing | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 1160X | Global Women Writing | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 1506 | Today We Wrote Nothing | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 1508 | Shame and Shamelessness: The Craft of Confessional Writing | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 1509 | The City and the Writer: New York City and Abu Dhabi | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 2315X | Postcolonial Turn | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 2341 | Asian and Arab Diaspora in the Arts | 4 |
| MUSIC-UH 1617X | Popular Music in the Arab World | 4 |
| MUSIC-UH 1618X | Music and Identity in Trade | 4 |
| MUSIC-UH 2665 | Global Jazz | 4 |
| THEAT-UH 1521 | Women Who Kill | 4 |
Data and Discovery
Data and Discovery courses develop the ability to use experimental and quantitative methods to understand the world. Numerous Data and Discovery courses are offered every term. The courses specified below are offered periodically, typically each year in the semester indicated.
Data and Discovery Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CADT-UH 1013EQ | Language of Computers | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1001Q | Data | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1002Q | Space | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1004E | Microbes | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1005EQ | Forensic Science: Guilty or Not Guilty? | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1007EQ | The Mind | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1008EQ | Seven Wonders of the Invisible World | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1010EQ | Diversity | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1016EQ | Where the City Meets the Sea: Studies in Coastal Urban Environments | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1017EQ | Symmetry | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1019Q | Heat and the Universe | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1024Q | Reading Like a Computer | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1027E | 5000 Years of Notable Lives: Measuring Influence across Cultures | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1032Q | Stability | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1033EQ | Data and Human Space | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1034Q | Numbers, Models, and Chaos | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1037 | Cyberwarfare | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1039EQ | Search | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1040 | Artificial Intelligence and Human Decisions | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1041EQ | Decisions and the Brain | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1043EQ | Data and Society | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1044Q | Human-Centered Data Science | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1045EQ | Science of Food & Cooking | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1046EQ | Infectious Diseases: Preventing and Stopping Epidemics | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1048Q | Microbial Self: Microbes and Identity | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1049EQ | Random Walks in Science | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1063 | Digital Archive | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1064 | Sustainable Supply Chains | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1065E | What is Life? | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1067Q | Epidemiology for Global Health | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1069EQ | Climate Change | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1071EQ | Stereotyping | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1072Q | Nothing | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1073Q | Science of Complexity | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1074EQ | Science of Martial Arts | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1075EQ | Quantum Computing for Everyone: Embracing the Quantum Revolution | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1077 | Chemophobia | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1078EQ | Inclusive Data Literacy | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1079EQ | The Science of Making Music | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1021EQ | Boundaries | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1102Q | Health & Society in a Global Context | 4 |
Structures of Thought and Society
Structures of Thought and Society courses allow students to examine past, current, and potential future global frameworks for thinking, social organization, and behavior. Numerous Structures of Thought and Society courses are offered each term, typically each year in the semester indicated.
Structure of Thought and Society Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACS-UH 1412X | Race and Ethnicity in the Histories of the Middle East and Africa | 4 |
| ACS-UH 1612X | Energy and Society in the Gulf | 4 |
| ACS-UH 2615X | Arab Genders and Sexualities | 4 |
| ANTH-UH 1102X | Anthropology of and as Media | 4 |
| ANTH-UH 1103 | Sense and Senses | 4 |
| ANTH-UH 1104 | Merchants, Chiefs and Spirits | 4 |
| ANTH-UH 2116 | Displacement and Dispossession in the Modern Middle East | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1026 | Human Value | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1063 | Foodways for the Anthropocene | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1069 | Cultural Appropriation | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1090 | Un/Making History | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1039EQ | Search | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1046EQ | Infectious Diseases: Preventing and Stopping Epidemics | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1067Q | Epidemiology for Global Health | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1006 | Thinking | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1007Q | Chance | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1008 | Birth of Science and AI | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1009 | Theory of Everything | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1010 | Astronomy & Cosmology: From Big Bang to Multiverse | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1012 | Wealth of Nations | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1015 | Legitimacy | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1016 | Ideas of the Sacred | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1017 | Revolutions and Social Change | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1021EQ | Boundaries | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1031 | Why Is It So Hard to Do Good? | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1036 | Progress in Science | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1043 | Great Divergence | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1049 | Concepts and Categories: How We Structure the World | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1052X | History and the Environment: The Middle East | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1053 | Understanding Urbanization | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1059GX | Urban Violence:The Middle East | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1059X | Urban Violence: The Middle East | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1060 | Beyond Belief | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1067 | Moving Target | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1074 | Refugees, Law and Crises | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1076 | What's Property (For?) | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1077 | Law and Politics | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1087 | Future of Education | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1088 | Thinking Big About the Ancient World | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1094 | Space Diplomacy | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1097 | Justice | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1098 | High Performance: Mindset and Habits | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1099 | Global Media Seminar: Latin America | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1101 | Cultures & Contexts: The Black Atlantic | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1102Q | Health & Society in a Global Context | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1103 | What Is Technology? | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1104 | Organizations | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1125X | Law and Empire | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1126 | Gender, Violence, and Political Participation | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1127 | Responsible Capitalism | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1128 | AI, Automation, and the Future of Work | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1129 | Environment & Politics | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1130 | Nuclear Energy | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1131 | Gender & Governance | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1149 | International Business, Law, and Sustainability | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1150 | Status | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1151 | Settler Colonialism | 4 |
| HIST-UH 2010 | History and Globalization | 4 |
| HIST-UH 2121 | Genocide in a Global Perspective | 4 |
| HIST-UH 2123 | Women in World History | 4 |
| HIST-UH 3112 | Asian Borderlands | 4 |
| LAW-UH 2134 | Animal Law & Policy | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 2333 | Translation and Colonization | 4 |
| PHIL-UH 1110 | The Meaning of Life | 4 |
| PHIL-UH 1115 | Fear of Knowledge | 4 |
| POLSC-UH 1114 | War on Terrorism | 4 |
| POLSC-UH 2317 | Identity and Culture in Politics | 4 |
| SOCSC-UH 1313 | Perspectives on Democracy | 4 |
| SRPP-UH 1413X | Social Change and Development in the Arab World | 4 |
| SRPP-UH 2410 | Gender and Society | 4 |
| SRPP-UH 2618 | Welfare States in Comparative Perspective | 4 |
| SRPP-UH 2620 | Education and Society | 4 |
Experimental Inquiry
Experimental Inquiry Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CADT-UH 1008EQ | Touch | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1013EQ | Language of Computers | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1016E | Utilitas, Venustas, Firmitas | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1045E | Plastic Fantastic | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1049E | Material World | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1079E | Have a Seat | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1006E | Conserving Our Global Heritage through Science | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1056EQ | Fairness | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1005EQ | Forensic Science: Guilty or Not Guilty? | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1065E | What is Life? | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1069EQ | Climate Change | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1071EQ | Stereotyping | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1074EQ | Science of Martial Arts | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1075EQ | Quantum Computing for Everyone: Embracing the Quantum Revolution | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1078EQ | Inclusive Data Literacy | 4 |
| CS-UH 2219E | Computational Social Science | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1021EQ | Boundaries | 4 |
| IM-UH 2514E | Bioart Practices | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 1002EQ | Research Methods in Psychology | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 1003E | Biopsychology | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3613EQ | Lab in Early Childhood Education | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3614EQ | Lab in Multisensory Perception and Action | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3616EQ | Lab in Data Analysis for the Psychological Sciences | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3617EQ | Lab in Visual Neuroscience | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3618EQ | Lab in Psychology of Gender Images | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3619EQ | Lab in Psychology of Economic Inequality | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3620EQ | Lab in Clinical Neuropsychology | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3621EQ | Lab in Language Science | 4 |
Quantitative Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CADT-UH 1008EQ | Touch | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1013EQ | Language of Computers | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1016Q | Cooperation | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1024Q | Life in the Universe | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1056EQ | Fairness | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1059Q | Quantified Self | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1065Q | Resentment and Politics | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1005EQ | Forensic Science: Guilty or Not Guilty? | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1069EQ | Climate Change | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1071EQ | Stereotyping | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1072Q | Nothing | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1073Q | Science of Complexity | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1074EQ | Science of Martial Arts | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1075EQ | Quantum Computing for Everyone: Embracing the Quantum Revolution | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1078EQ | Inclusive Data Literacy | 4 |
| CDAD-UH 1079EQ | The Science of Making Music | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1007Q | Chance | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1021EQ | Boundaries | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1102Q | Health & Society in a Global Context | 4 |
| ENGR-UH 2010Q | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | 2 |
| MATH-UH 1000AQ | Mathematics for Statistics and Calculus Part I | 2 |
| MATH-UH 1000BQ | Mathematics for Statistics and Calculus Part II | 2 |
| MATH-UH 1010Q | Foundations of Mathematics | 4 |
| MATH-UH 1012Q | Calculus with Applications to Science and Engineering | 4 |
| MATH-UH 1013Q | Calculus with Applications to Economics | 4 |
| MATH-UH 1020Q | Multivariable Calculus with Applications to Science and Engineering | 4 |
| MATH-UH 1021Q | Multivariable Calculus with Applications to Economics | 4 |
| MATH-UH 1022Q | Linear Algebra | 4 |
| MATH-UH 1023Q | Fundamentals of Linear Algebra | 2 |
| MATH-UH 1024Q | Fundamentals of Ordinary Differential Equations | 2 |
| MATH-UH 2010Q | Ordinary Differential Equations | 4 |
| MATH-UH 2011Q | Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| MATH-UH 2012Q | Abstract Algebra 1 | 4 |
| MATH-UH 2013Q | Analysis 1 | 4 |
| MATH-UH 2410Q | Mathematical Modeling | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 1002EQ | Research Methods in Psychology | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 1004Q | Statistics for Psychology | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3613EQ | Lab in Early Childhood Education | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3614EQ | Lab in Multisensory Perception and Action | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3616EQ | Lab in Data Analysis for the Psychological Sciences | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3617EQ | Lab in Visual Neuroscience | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3618EQ | Lab in Psychology of Gender Images | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3619EQ | Lab in Psychology of Economic Inequality | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3620EQ | Lab in Clinical Neuropsychology | 4 |
| PSYCH-UH 3621EQ | Lab in Language Science | 4 |
Islamic Studies
Islamic Studies Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACS-UH 1010X | Anthropology and the Arab World | 4 |
| ACS-UH 1011X | Introduction to Modern Arabic Literature | 4 |
| ACS-UH 1012X | Emergence of the Modern Middle East | 4 |
| ACS-UH 1214X | Quran as Literature | 4 |
| ACS-UH 1410X | Making of the Muslim Middle East | 4 |
| ACS-UH 1412X | Race and Ethnicity in the Histories of the Middle East and Africa | 4 |
| ACS-UH 1610X | Feminism and Islamism in the Middle East and North Africa | 4 |
| ACS-UH 1612X | Energy and Society in the Gulf | 4 |
| ACS-UH 2212X | Introduction to Islamic Texts | 4 |
| ACS-UH 2213X | Modern Arabic Short Stories | 4 |
| ACS-UH 2410X | Paradise Lost: Muslims, Christians and Jews in Al-Andalus | 4 |
| ACS-UH 2419X | Sufism | 4 |
| ACS-UH 2613X | Youth in the Middle East | 4 |
| ACS-UH 2614X | Colonization of Palestine | 4 |
| ACS-UH 2615X | Arab Genders and Sexualities | 4 |
| ANTH-UH 1102X | Anthropology of and as Media | 4 |
| ANTH-UH 2114X | Listening to Islam | 4 |
| ANTH-UH 2121X | Gender/Religion/Violence | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 1132X | Elementary Qur'anic Arabic | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 3131X | Introduction to Qur'anic Arabic | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 4015X | Arabic Cultural Explorations | 4 |
| ARTH-UH 1120X | Art and Architecture of the Islamic World | 4 |
| ARTH-UH 1121X | Gulf and Indian Ocean World Art and Architecture | 4 |
| ARTH-UH 2118X | Contemporary Art and Politics in the Arab World | 4 |
| AW-UH 1113X | Alexander and the East: Central Asia and the Mediterranean from the Achaemenid Period | 4 |
| AW-UH 1115X | Political Past, Political Presents: Archaeology and the Politics of Memory in the 'Near East' | 4 |
| AW-UH 1119X | Sacred Cities: Jerusalem and Mecca | 4 |
| AW-UH 1120X | Archaeology of the Gulf | 4 |
| CADT-UH 1037X | Machines in Islamic Civilization | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1009X | A Thousand and One Nights | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1078X | Representing the Middle East: Issues in the Politics of Culture | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1094X | Orientalisms | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1095X | Arabia Felix, the Imagined Land of 'Happiness' | 4 |
| CCEA-UH 1114X | Sexualities of the Middle East: A Cultural History | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1003X | Faith in Science, Reason in Revelation | 4 |
| CCOL-UH 1052X | Art of Revolution | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1052X | History and the Environment: The Middle East | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1059GX | Urban Violence:The Middle East | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1059X | Urban Violence: The Middle East | 4 |
| CSTS-UH 1125X | Law and Empire | 4 |
| FILMM-UH 1013X | Understanding MENASA Film and New Media | 4 |
| HERST-UH 1101X | Heritage Management in the Arabian World | 4 |
| HIST-UH 1125X | South Asia in the Indian Ocean World | 4 |
| HIST-UH 1126X | Digital History | 4 |
| HIST-UH 3510X | Muslim Societies in African History | 4 |
| HIST-UH 3513X | Religion and Material Culture in the Indian Ocean World | 4 |
| HIST-UH 3710X | Central Asia and the Middle East | 4 |
| LAW-UH 2115X | Comparative Legal Systems: United States and United Arab Emirates | 4 |
| LAW-UH 2122X | Introduction to Islamic Law | 4 |
| LAW-UH 2126X | International Commercial Arbitration: From Ancient Arabia to Contemporary Singapore | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 1160X | Global Women Writing | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 2312X | Masterpieces of Pre-Modern Arabic Literature in Translation | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 2315X | Postcolonial Turn | 4 |
| LITCW-UH 3350X | Literatures of the Middle East and the Maghreb (North Africa) | 4 |
| MUSIC-UH 1611X | Arab Music Cultures | 4 |
| MUSIC-UH 1617X | Popular Music in the Arab World | 4 |
| MUSIC-UH 1618X | Music and Identity in Trade | 4 |
| PHIL-UH 2211X | Classical Arabic Philosophy | 4 |
| POLSC-UH 2410X | Comparative Politics of the Middle East | 4 |
| POLSC-UH 2421X | Political Economy of the Middle East | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1126X | FYWS: Understanding Postcolonial Feminisms | 4 |
Writing Program
The development of strong writing skills throughout a student’s academic career is an important objective of an NYUAD education. The Writing Program has designed a curriculum to meet the needs of individual students through a blend of writing courses and one-on-one consultations in the Writing Center.
All students must complete a semester-long writing seminar in their first year. The First-Year Writing Seminar (FYWS) introduces students to the reading, writing, oral expression, and critical thinking skills essential to a liberal arts education.
The First-Year Writing Seminar lays a foundation for continued practice in university-level thinking and writing. In addition to taking the First-Year Writing Seminar, all NYUAD students will receive extensive writing and communication practice in Core courses and will come to learn that each discipline has its own conventions for advanced writing in specific fields.
Students are invited to complete a self-directed Writing Diagnostic and Survey prior to course registration. The diagnostic experience of reading, writing, and reflecting on the writing process will help students, in collaboration with their advisors, strategize when to take the FYWS to maximize the impact of the course on their learning. For instance, students who feel they need more time to practice college-level writing may choose to take the Writing Seminar in the fall of their first year, while students who feel more prepared may wait to take their FYWS in the spring semester of their first year.
The First-Year Writing Seminar
Each FYWS is designed around a topic that serves as a vehicle for academic inquiry. The seminar uses thematically organized content to foster student inquiry and intellectual engagement, and to model excellence in thinking and writing. Students engage with a variety of texts, learn how to analyze ideas and express complex arguments, and complete assignments that range from shorter reviews and editorials to longer persuasive analytical essays. Each written essay is the result of a progression of structured exercises with an emphasis on drafting and revision strategies. Students work collaboratively, learning to offer appropriate and constructive feedback through class discussion, peer workshops, tutorials, and one-on-one writing conferences with faculty.
To ensure a unified and consistent experience for students, all sections of the First-Year Writing Seminar share a set of common goals. Students will be introduced to rhetorical knowledge; critical thinking, reading, and composing skills; a range of composing and communication processes; and an awareness of disciplinary conventions. In the First-Year Writing Seminar students learn to:
- Read and analyze a range of complex written, visual, empirical or performative texts.
- Conceptualize and express complex claims based in evidence.
- Document sources according to scholarly conventions.
- Write for a scholarly audience.
- Attend to style, grammar, and proper usage in academic English.
All First-Year Writing Seminars ask students to write three essays of increasing complexity (in draft and final form) over the course of the term, culminating in an inquiry-driven research paper and oral presentation. Courses typically begin by working on the art of close analysis of texts and ideas related to the course themes. In the second paper students use a variety of sources to make evidence-driven arguments. In the last portion of the class, students conduct library research on a topic that interests them and then write a research paper that makes an argument supported by evidence drawn from the sources they have gathered and analyzed. Finally, all students will make oral presentations about their work at various stages of their research and writing process.
Statement of Principle: The First-Year Writing Seminar (FYWS) is an integral part of all students’ first-year experience, preparing them to express their ideas in writing in courses across their four year education, regardless of their intended or declared major. The policy is designed to ensure that students prioritize enrolling in this course during their first year of enrollment.
First-Year Writing Seminar Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| WRIT-UH 1100 | FYWS: Taste, Culture & the Self | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1108 | FYWS: Writers on Writing | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1110 | FYWS: Power and Ethics in Photography | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1113 | FYWS: Saving Strangers: Debates about Humanitarian Intervention | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1116 | FYWS: The Politics of Spectacle | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1119 | FYWS: Living Cities | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1123 | FYWS: Scientific Knowledge | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1124 | FYWS: Slavery After Slavery | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1125 | FYWS: Graphic Violence | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1126X | FYWS: Understanding Postcolonial Feminisms | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1127 | FYWS: Real and Imagined: Women’s Writing Across Worlds | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1128 | FYWS: Memory, History, and Forgetting | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1129 | FYWS: The World of Babel: Translation Before the Modern Age | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1131 | FYWS: Writing About the Languages We Speak | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1132 | FYWS: Protest Art | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1134 | FYWS: The Last Straw: The Effects of Environmental Change Throughout Time | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1135 | FYWS: Non-Violence | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1136 | FYWS: Movement & Meaning | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1137 | FYWS: Resilience at the Margins | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1138 | FYWS: Elsewhere | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1139 | FYWS: Exploring Our Linguistic Identities | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1140 | FYWS: Racisms and Race | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1141 | FYWS: Understanding Photography | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1142 | FYWS: Genders and Falconry | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1143 | FYWS: Reacting to the Past: Evidence-Based Public Health | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1144 | FYWS: Nonsense | 4 |
| WRIT-UH 1145 | FYWS: Pirates, Traffickers and Enslavers | 4 |
General Education Overview
Languages
Language is the principal means through which humans communicate and a major vehicle in the development of thought, culture, and aesthetic expression. Studying language makes one aware of other conceptual and cultural worlds and able to reach more effectively into those worlds and bridge cultures. NYUAD language courses are structured to increase competency at every level in speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills. Every language course introduces cultural material that highlights the connectedness of language, culture, and thought. Students who choose to acquire a new language or to pursue advanced study of a language with which they are already familiar are better poised to realize their potential as 21st-century global citizens. For these many reasons, students are strongly encouraged to study a language other than English while at NYU Abu Dhabi.
Languages offered at NYU Abu Dhabi through regular coursework are Arabic, Chinese, French, and Spanish. By studying Arabic, students encounter and begin to grasp the first language of Abu Dhabi and the region. Classroom learning is enhanced by opportunities to apply language skills in the community and to travel to other Arabic speaking countries. Students of Chinese are able to spend at least one semester at NYU’s other portal campus in Shanghai, and are able to begin or continue learning Chinese at NYU New York or NYU Shanghai, while students of French are able to take advantage of the numerous French language offerings at NYU’s global network site in Paris. In the case of Spanish, students can spend a semester or more at NYU Madrid or NYU Buenos Aires.
Students who wish to advance their proficiency in languages other than Arabic, Chinese, French, and Spanish may take advantage of the immersive language instruction offered at NYU’s global network sites in Accra, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Tel Aviv, and Prague. Non-credit language courses are also offered in Spanish, German, and Italian. With approval of the Dean of Arts and Humanities, students may petition to study certain ancient or so-called non-living languages (for example, Latin) offered at NYU New York through special tutorial agreements. Non-credit tutorials can also be arranged in Abu Dhabi for a variety of world languages. Students interested in Arabic and/or Chinese should review the Arabic Minor and Chinese Minor program requirements in the bulletin for additional information and course offerings.
Arabic Language offerings
Arabic Language Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACS-UH 2213X | Modern Arabic Short Stories | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 1110 | Elementary Arabic 1 | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 1120 | Elementary Arabic 2 | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 1130 | Arabic Language and Heritage 1 | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 1132X | Elementary Qur'anic Arabic | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 2110 | Intermediate Arabic 1 | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 2120 | Intermediate Arabic 2 | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 2130 | Arabic Language and Heritage 2 | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 2211 | Colloquial Arabic: Levantine Dialect 1 | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 2212 | Colloquial Arabic: Egyptian Dialect | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 2213 | Colloquial Arabic: Emirati Dialect and Culture | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 3110 | Advanced Arabic 1 | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 3120 | Advanced Arabic 2 | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 3131X | Introduction to Qur'anic Arabic | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 3211 | Colloquial Arabic: Levantine Dialect 2 | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 3401 | Hybrid Identities in the Gulf | 4 |
| ARABL-UH 4015X | Arabic Cultural Explorations | 4 |
Chinese Language offerings
Chinese Language Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHINL-UH 1101 | Elementary Chinese 1 | 4 |
| CHINL-UH 1102 | Elementary Chinese 2 | 4 |
| CHINL-UH 2001 | Intermediate Chinese 1 | 4 |
| CHINL-UH 2002 | Intermediate Chinese 2 | 4 |
| CHINL-UH 3001 | Advanced Chinese 1 | 4 |
| CHINL-UH 3002 | Advanced Chinese 2 | 4 |
Spanish Language offerings
Spanish Language Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPANL-UH 1110 | Elementary Spanish 1 | 4 |
| SPANL-UH 1111 | Elementary Spanish 2 | 4 |
| SPANL-UH 2115 | Intermediate Spanish 1 | 4 |
| SPANL-UH 2116 | Intermediate Spanish 2 | 4 |
| SPANL-UH 3010 | Advanced Spanish 1 | 4 |
French Language offerings
French Language Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FRENL-UH 1101 | Elementary French 1 | 4 |
| FRENL-UH 1102 | Elementary French 2 | 4 |
| FRENL-UH 2001 | Intermediate French 1 | 4 |
| FRENL-UH 2002 | Intermediate French 2 | 4 |
| FRENL-UH 3000 | French Grammar and Composition | 4 |
Japanese Language offerings
Japanese Language Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| JAPNL-UH 1101 | Beginning Japanese 1 | 2 |
| JAPNL-UH 1102 | Beginning Japanese 2 | 2 |
Physical Education
While not part of the Core curriculum but just as important to the mission of NYUAD, is the Physical Education Program, which provides students with lifelong guidance and skills to allow them to become the best versions of themselves physically, mentally, socially and cognitively. The Physical Education program is designed to assist students to:
- Gain the ability and knowledge to enjoy physical activity
- Develop confidence and understanding in their own unique physical abilities
- Embrace the understanding that one doesn’t have to be athletic to be physically active.
- Understand the importance and benefits of becoming physically active for a lifetime.
Physical fitness is an important aspect of overall student development at NYU Abu Dhabi. Guided by the principle that a healthy body supports a strong mind in achieving one's full potential, the Physical Education program provides opportunities for competitive and recreational athletic participation, fitness through exercise classes such as aerobics and Pilates, and lifetime skills in sports such as golf and tennis. Students are required to complete two seven-week non-credit Physical Education sessions.
The Athletic Department promotes and enhances a healthy lifestyle by providing qualified coaches and instructors, coordinating the use of athletic facilities, overseeing the intramural program, arranging for recreational opportunities, and providing exercise classes. Students at NYUAD have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of indoor and outdoor fitness activities including popular team sports such as football/soccer, volleyball, and tennis, individual competitions such as road races and triathlons, a choice of water sports such as kayaking and sailing, and athletic leisure activities, such as cycling, hiking, and equestrian events. Many of these activities are offered as seven-week courses during fall and spring semesters. While the goal is to field at least one externally competitive team per fall, winter, and spring season, the specific sports offered will depend on the interest and ability levels among students in the class. There are also opportunities for individual competition in events. Some courses are open to women only and for additional information make sure to check the course schedule and/or nyuad.athletics@nyu.edu.
The NYUAD Physical Education (PE) Program provides a wide variety of classes covering all levels of interest and ability. PE programming takes place either at the university’s world-class athletic facilities or off campus in a location in Abu Dhabi city. Students are required to complete two 7-week Physical Education classes before graduation and every PE class taken appears on the official student transcript. Students can also earn one PE course count (maximum) by participating in intercollegiate sports. Students interested in joining an intercollegiate team should contact nyuad.athletics@nyu.edu to request information before team rosters are set for the competitive season. The university has a wide variety of intercollegiate team offerings each year. Physical Education classes, including intercollegiate sports, are non-credit and graded on a pass/fail basis (except for CDAD-UH 1074EQ which is letter graded).
Physical Education Courses (Sample of previous course offerings)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CDAD-UH 1074EQ | Science of Martial Arts | 4 |
| PHYED-UH 1001 | Introduction to Group Fitness Classes | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1002 | Beginner Swimming | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1003 | Intermediate Swimming | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1004 | Women's Foundations of Middle Eastern Dance | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1006 | Hip Hop | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1011 | Jiu Jitsu | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1013 | Golf | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1014 | Tennis | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1016 | Women's Swimming | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1017 | Squash | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1018 | Foundations of Boxing | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1019 | Foundations of Resistance Training | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1021 | Women's Foundations of Boxing | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1022 | Yoga | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1023 | Badminton | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1024 | Foundations of Running | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1027 | Wall Climbing | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1028 | Indoor Cycling | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1030 | Women's Yoga | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1031 | Introduction to Sports Science | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1040 | Women's Foundations of Fitness | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1041 | WO Hip Hop | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1042 | Beginner Ballet | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1044 | Volleyball | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1049 | WO Indoor Cycling | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1056 | Recreational Games | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1057 | WO Pilates | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1062 | Olympic Weightlifting | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1064 | WO Olympic Weight Lifting | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1065 | WO Jiu Jitsu | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1066 | WO Wall Climbing | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1068 | SNAP Basketball | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1069 | Futsal | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1070 | Mindfulness | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1074 | Beginner Tap Dance | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1075 | First Aid & CPR | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1076 | Women's Zumba | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1078 | Beginner Waltz | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1079 | Barre Fit | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1080 | Cricket | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1082 | Holistic Nutrition | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1083 | WO Running | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1085 | WO The Science of Happiness | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1088 | Women's Tennis | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1089 | Zumba | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1090 | WO Intermediate Swimming | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1091 | Mixed Martial Arts | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1092 | Contemporary Dance | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1093 | Muay Thai | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1094 | Tai Chi | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1096 | Women's Contemporary Dance | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1098 | Indoor Games | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1099 | Table Tennis | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1100 | Olympic Handball | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1101 | Women's Foundations of Resistance Training | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1102 | Indoor Water Sports | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1103 | Foundations of Lifting | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1104 | Salsa | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1108 | Women's Volleyball | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1110 | Women's Aqua Fitness | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1111 | Pool rescue | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1112 | Foundations of Duathlon | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1114 | Team Sports | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1116 | Working with Emotions in the Body | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1118 | WO Beginner Fitness | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1120 | Irish Dancing | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1122 | Introduction to Military Fitness and Mindset | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1123 | Emotional Regulation and Resilience | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1124 | Women's Physical Preparation for Sports | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1125 | Physical Preparation for Sports | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1126 | Taekwondo | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1128 | Meditation | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1130 | Pickleball | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1132 | Track and Field | 0 |
| PHYED-UH 1134 | The Science of Happiness | 0 |